Swords
In a nutshell, a sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used as a cutting, thrusting, and clubbing weapon in many civilizations throughout the world. In REGALIA, this happens to be the "standard weapon"; the majority of characters either had a sword in their possession at one time, or they currently use it in battle. A Japanese sword, or nihontō (日本刀 or にほんとう, lit. Japanese sword), are the most common form of swords in Japan. These are categorised in several types according to size and method of manufacture. The most commonly known type is the katana, which, like the similarly formed tachi, is a single-edged and, usually, curved long sword which was traditionally used by samurai from the 1400s onwards; Wakizashi is the shorter sword; Tsurugi are double-edged long swords; Ōtachi or Nodachi are older but longer single-edged versions. Arainami *Current Owner: Harada Juubei *Former Owner: Harada Shinnosuke *Type of Sword: Tachi Information: ''' The '''Arainami (荒い波 lit. wild/raging waves) sword was forged by Sakata Chiharu, whose father learned to make blades under the great demon sword creator, Muramasa. Because of it being a third-generational Muramasa blade, it does ''possess some demonic tendencies but only a skilled swordsman can actually act upon such energies. The sword was created because Harada Shinnosuke could not refrain from breaking regular swords while utilizing the Arashi arts of the Umi-no-Mokuzu-ryuu; his wife, seeing his constant sword switching, created her first and only sword which happened to withstand Shinnosuke's style. Now owned by Shinnosuke's son, Juubei, the ''Tachi actually isn't used as regular as it used to be, for Juubei dislikes utilizing his father's preferred style. Byakuren *Current Owner: Ishida Shiori *Former Owner: Hanekoma Tatsuki *Type of Sword: Nodachi Information: ''' The '''Byakuren (びゃくれん, lit. white lotus/''purity'') happens to be a sword of legend or a Meitou -- legendary blade. It is said that the Byakuren is the most pure sword in all of existence. Humans and gods alike happen to be admirers of its ultimate grace. Legends say that even the great Enma Dai-oh, the ruler and judge of the dead, cowers in fear of this weapon of serenity. Being a nodachi, it is most used for open field combat; its size prohibits any indoor use. This weapon must be wielded with great precision, for unruly wild swings may end up causing the user to lose balance due to its size. Although made for use with two hands due to its weight and length, Ishida Shiori is able to wield the Byakuren with only one, effortlessly in her flower dancing style of combat. In conjunction with Heki, the Byakuren is known to create white lotus petals scattering around the user/battlefield which are known to induce illusions. This was the weapon of choice of Hanekoma Tatsuki in battle, but after her passing, Shiori decides to use her teacher's sword in battle in honor of her. Getsuruito *Current Owner: Adachi Sayaka *Former Owner: N/A *Type of Sword: Katana with slight alterations. Information: ''' The '''Getsuruito (月涙刀, lit. moon tear sword) an Adachi family heirloom, happens to bear some demonic essence; sometimes it is said that the sword is a demon in itself. The steel blade of her katana happens to be colored an odd read. Along with that, the end of its hilt has a red ribbon attached to it. The red ribbon, roughly, is the same length as the sword's blade. The rounded guard has carvings of a Phoenix bird and a dragon intertwining together. The hilt of Getsuruito ends in a bell, that actually is able to detect any presense near the user; only the user can hear this bell. The sheath is red as well, having the same design of a dragon and Phoenix intertwining with one another but in the color of gold. When unsheathed and depending on her emotional status, Getsuruito's blade usually bursts into flames. This is the result of the dragon engraved on the hilt. When the flames die down, that signals the opponent or enemy that her strength is weakening. When she is at defeat or if the blade shatters, Getsuruito will be reborn back into its original state once its wielder is calm and out of danger. This is where the Phoenix engraved on the hilt takes it part. Gurren *Current Owner: Ishida Shiori *Former Owner: Hanekoma Tatsuki *Type of Sword: Katana Information: ''' Being a Nagasone Kotetsu-made katana, the '''Gurren (ぐれん, lit. crimson lotus) happens to be a sturdy sword made of the finest metal; it is able to pierce through strong steel such as the ones used in helmets/armor. Although war is known for being ghastly and bloody, the Gurren was created with the purity and grace of the Byakuren sword in mind but it happens to reflect a graceful death of sorts. Due to it being smaller than the Byakuren, the Gurren is ultimately quicker than its inspiration and also it is the more suitable of the two for use in close-quarters combat through quick thrusts and wild swings. Through the use of Heki, the Gurren is known to cause sharp crimson lotus petals to scatter about for use in various techniques; the crimson petals are said to be "blood soaked". Hanekoma Tatsuki was its first owner, but after seeing the initiative in the eyes of Ishida Shiori, she hands it down to the Ishida Princess. Hikari no Tsurugi *Current Owner: Kiryuu Megumi *Former Owner: None. It was forged solely for her use. *Type of Sword: A double headed Katana. Information: The Hikari no Tsurugi (光の剣, lit. blade of light) is an oddity in swords for it has two ends; a "hilt" of sorts exists in the middle of the sword for a proper grip. Although it is called the Hikari no Tsurugi, the sword is not a Tsurugi type sword. The sword is able to harness the power and energy of light to amplify attacks and techniques. However, with each hit, the amount of light energy collected dissipates. As a last resort, the sword can at least still be used normally when it runs out of light energy. Isshasenri *Current Owner: None. *Former Owner: Bando Motomi *Type of Sword: O-katana Information: Motomi actually seals the Isshasenri (一瀉千里, lit. one swift effort) before the events of REGALIA. Upon the tsuba are various kanji denoting the work of the famous Shintôgo Kunimitsu, the swordsmith who taught Masamune the craft of creating the sword. A sword created for a god, matched with Motomi's reputation and skill among the entire Yakuza syndicate, seem to only add to the legend. Those who have seen it often comment on its unique coloration. Regarding the sword, Motomi told Kiryuu Musashi, "If you ask me, it resembles the color of a stormy sky — just before a bolt of lightning rips through the atmosphere to strike down an opponent." Ribenka *Current Owner: ??? *Former Owner: ??? Information: The Ribenka (離弁花, lit. schizopetalous flower) was a cursed blade made by the skilled hands of Muramasa Sengo. It is known by swordsman as an unreliable blade appearing to have a mind of it's own — in fact, along with never bending to the will of it's wielder, it would often curve after blade strokes to leave them open for a counter. Other then it's troublesome nature, Ribenka was also known for it's black steel and purple/pink like hue along the bladed edge. It's current whereabouts are unknown. Sekaihara *Current Owner: Harada Juubei *Former Owner: Sakata Chiharu *Type of Sword: Bokutou Information: The Bokutou, named Sekaihara (青海原, lit. the blue sea), first belonged to his mother, whom was able to wield it with such grace and passion, it was as if she actually was the water with her portrayal of the Chuuihou arts. The wood from this Bokutou actually came from a blessed cherry blossom tree -- a tree that was the sole suviving tree in a vicious thunderstorm. It is durable, able to go head-to-head with a steel sword but it is made of wood, so defense is usually a counterattack to avoid defense weight possibly breaking the wood. Category:Weapons